Decision

The gates of the Yangzhi Wuyi Academy swung open. A security guard raised his hand in a salute, watching as a Jiade car slowly drove onto the grounds. Chen Chuan guided the steering wheel as he drove inward. It was the New Year holiday, so teachers and students were all on break. Aside from the guards, hardly anyone was on the roads. A thin layer of snow still dusted the treetops and rooftops on either side. Following the road, he soon arrived at the edge of Spring and Autumn Lake, where the dormitory building came into view. Less than half a year had passed since his last visit, yet almost all the students from his graduating class had already left. The dormitory manager was certainly still around, though—after all, the old man was still waiting on Chen Chuan for that pension raise. Past Spring and Autumn Lake, he drove further in until he reached the lakeside residential quarters reserved for the academy's instructors. During his time studying at the school, he had visited Cheng Zitong's home a few times. Most of the time, though, lessons had taken place in Chen Chuan's dorm training room, with only occasional trips to other practice halls. The snow had stopped a few days ago, and fine sunshine bathed the grounds. Outside a swept, open-air courtyard, two elderly men sat at a stone table playing chess. Noticing the car approach, they glanced in its direction. One of them remarked, "Whose relative is that? Haven't seen that car before." "Looking at where it's headed..." The other old man peered forward. "It's going to Supervisor Cheng's place." "Heh. People coming to wish Supervisor Cheng a Happy New Year haven't stopped since the start of the holiday. Heading logistics really is lucrative. Not like us—nothing left of us except unbreakable old bones and a few ounces of flesh. Nobody gives us a second thought." "Are you selling spare ribs or something? Who'd want an old codger like you anyway? Besides, guests never used to come to Supervisor Cheng's place in such numbers in past years. A couple of days ago, people even came from Center City—supposedly the Cheng clan sent folks specially to see him." "Now that's a rare sight. How many years has it been? Father and son have been at odds for so long. Did Elder Cheng finally bow his head first this time?" "Hard to say. If you ask me, it's mostly because he trained such a good student." "The one who went to Center City?" "Holding a post in Center City's Disposal Bureau—how impressive is that? When he came back half a year ago, word was he already held quite a rank. Give it a few more years, and even the academy head will have to show him respect." "No wonder Supervisor Cheng has filled out quite a bit this past year. Anyone in his shoes would eat a few extra bowls of rice." Just then, the car pulled up before the courtyard. The door opened, and a tall, handsome young man dressed in a military greatcoat uniform stepped out. One of the old men said, "Old Qian, that student of Supervisor Cheng you mentioned... that's him, right?" "Yeah, should be." "That uniform... why does it look so unusual to me..." Squinting at him from a distance, both of their hearts suddenly skipped a beat. It wasn't merely that they recognized the uniform. The moment they looked his way, they could sense an indescribable aura radiating from the young man. The resonance of auras between fighters was acutely sensitive. Even though the young man never looked back, they felt a sudden prickling sensation on their skin like needles, and the fine hairs on their bodies stood on end. The two old men exchanged a look. "Supervisor Cheng's student... he's truly something else." As the deputy logistics supervisor, Cheng Zitong had dedicated guards at the gate. Having received word early that morning, the guard immediately opened the gate the moment Chen Chuan arrived and saluted him. Chen Chuan nodded and carried his gifts inside. Just as he stepped past the front hall, Cheng Zitong walked out from the inner rooms. Compared to half a year ago, the teacher had gained a visible ring around his middle and was brimming with vitality, clearly eating and sleeping well. "Xiao Chuan, you're here! Come in, come in. Ah, you're here to visit, why bother bringing gifts?" Chen Chuan said, "Just a small token of respect from your student." "Fine, then I won't stand on ceremony with you." Cheng Zitong sized him up, his eyes instantly lighting up. "This uniform of yours... enforcement captain? When did you get promoted again?" Chen Chuan replied, "Not long ago. Just within the past two months." "Good, good!" Whatever crossed Cheng Zitong's mind, he looked all the happier. "Mm, this uniform fits you well. It's meant for you. Come, come sit inside." Chen Chuan followed him in. The layout of the residence was similar to that of the other instructors' courtyards, maintaining an older style. Once inside the parlor, he took the tea canister Cheng Zitong brought out and said, "Teacher, allow me." After brewing the tea, Chen Chuan served a cup to Cheng Zitong before taking a seat himself. Holding the steaming cup, Cheng Zitong sighed with emotion. "Teacher knows promotions in Center City don't come easy. If it were any other student, I'd urge them not to push too hard. But I know you have a steady sense of things, so there's no need for me to nag." Chen Chuan smiled. "I remember all of Teacher's past guidance." Cheng Zitong's round face beamed. Setting down his teacup, he said, "Xiao Chuan, tell me about your time in Center City." Chen Chuan nodded. Teacher and student sat in the parlor, sipping tea and chatting. Other guests arrived one after another throughout the day, but they merely paid their respects, dropped off gifts, and took their leave. Chen Chuan stayed for lunch and remained until three or four in the afternoon. Seeing that the hour was growing late, he stood to take his leave. Cheng Zitong saw him to the gate, watching him get into the car and drive away before returning inside. Back in the inner room, Cheng Zitong thought for a moment, picked up the telephone, and dialed a number. "Hello, Senior Brother? I'm coming over to see you in a bit... Can't I visit just because New Year greetings are over? When did we brothers become so distant? Oh, you have business and are heading out?..." After hanging up, Cheng Zitong chuckled. "Heading out? What business could you possibly have at this hour? Just because you told me not to come means I won't?" Taking a sip of tea, he picked up a gift box he had prepared long ago and unhurriedly strolled out the door. After his visit with Cheng Zitong, Chen Chuan returned to his aunt's home. A few days later, he went out to meet up with old classmates like Ding Jiao. This winter did not seem quite as cold as previous ones, so their original plans for ice skating and skiing were called off. Instead, they rode motorcycles for joyrides and visited a newly opened archery hall in the city center. Archery was not taught at Wuyi. Standard bows and arrows had an obvious ceiling; they were inconvenient to carry and demanded a fair amount of technique, making them far less practical than pistols or barehanded throwing, which offered superior accuracy and power. Still, it made for fine recreation and exercise. As a fighter, Chen Chuan only needed to grasp the mechanics of power generation to pick it up after a few tries, though he took care not to show off too much while having fun with the group. In truth, after becoming a fighter, ordinary physical activities posed virtually no challenge to him, save for those requiring highly specialized techniques. After relaxing with his classmates for several days, the fourteenth arrived, and Chen Chuan headed to the Douyi Hotel. This time, it was a dinner gathering with Wei Chang'an and the others. When he arrived, everyone from their previous gathering was already present. Once they had ordered their food, Wei Chang'an said, "Junior Brother, remember when you told us about Center City last time? I talked it over with everyone, and we're planning to head to Center City after the New Year to try our luck." Chen Chuan smiled. "Brother Wei, that's great news." He had always encouraged this move. Yangzhi had its ceiling. For Wei Chang'an and the others to stay cooped up here was a pure waste of talent; not only would their fighting skills stagnate, but they would likely remain mere commissioners for the rest of their lives. In Center City, however, they could truly accomplish something. Moreover, with the Great Collision approaching, changes were constantly underway both inside and outside the world, making established class boundaries far easier to cross. Cai Si remarked, "Actually, we're not the only ones thinking this way. From what I know, several commissioner teams have headed to Center City recently. "Ever since Molan Company was wiped out and the Blood Mark Gang fell, the Iron Chain Gang has been doing legitimate business obediently. Under Director Guan's leadership, the constabulary keeps tight control over public security, so there's almost nothing happening in the city anymore. "There's still plenty going on outside the city, but the smuggling routes into Yangzhi have taken several heavy blows. Aside from fighting armed gangs on the wasteland, there are hardly any major commissions left." He shook his head. "There's only so much meat on the bone, and so many eyes on it. Rather than fighting over scraps here, we might as well change territories." The members of their team all shared the sentiment, and even the usually quiet Ren Xiaotian nodded silently beside them. Wu Han and Wei Dong exchanged a glance, looking somewhat puzzled, as if to say: *Fewer commissions? Really? How come we haven't felt it?* Seeing their expressions, Cai Si said helplessly, "All the commissions you two take are out on the wasteland. Who else is as undiscerning as you two? Of course you wouldn't feel it." Commission companies loved people like Wu Han and Wei Dong, who accepted any job without asking about difficulty. Other commissioner teams also loved dealing with two such daring fighters who relished charging on the front lines; whenever they could recruit them, mission success rates shot straight up. Presumably, until every last armed gang on the wasteland was wiped out, those two would never run short of work. Wu Han said, "Wei Dong and I make a great team. And now Wei Dong is heading to the Main Academy to study." He looked toward Feng Xiaoqi and Luo Kaiyuan nearby. "I hear Junior Feng and Junior Luo are going along too?" Seeing them both nod, he sighed in distress. "That leaves me all alone. Maybe I should just head to Center City too." Chen Chuan spoke up, "Center City offers plenty of opportunities, and the resources available far exceed what Yangzhi can provide. Center City refers to the surrounding cities as peripheral cities. While the term is derogatory, the disparity between them is undeniable. If you aspire to climb higher, only there can you attain what you seek." He paused, then added, "I've managed to gain a bit of a footing in Center City now. If you all come, I can lend a hand." Had his unit not been restricted to recruiting those bound by non-disclosure agreements or native to the Confluence, he would have brought them directly into his squad. Still, there might well be opportunities in the future. Wei Chang'an's expression grew solemn. "Junior Brother speaks the truth. In that case, I won't be shy. Center City will be unfamiliar territory for us, so we'll have to rely on you to look out for us." Chen Chuan nodded. "I'm confident that with the abilities of Brother Wei, Brother Si, and the rest of you, you can establish yourselves anywhere." Wu Han slapped the table with a loud crack, chest puffed out. "It's decided! Right after the New Year, I'm heading to Center City!" Turning to Chen Chuan, he declared, "Junior Brother Chen, see you in Center City then! Let me toast you!" With that, he rose to his feet and raised his cup. Following his lead, everyone at the table raised their cups and stood up. Chen Chuan smiled faintly and rose as well. Lifting the cup before him, he said, "Good. I will be waiting for you all in Center City."